PC Gamer Presents - PC Hardware Handbook - May 2018

ROUND-UP

MOBO

The Z370-G is a fantastic Micro-ATX

offering, packing a small form factor,

and plenty of connectivity into its tiny,

yet affordable, confines. The aesthetic

is absolutely stunning, and, although

we do wish it had some form of rear

I/O cover internally for prettier

builds, it’s something we’re

willing to let slide.

We’ve seen the price of a 16GB kit of memory increase

exponentially, so a Micro-ATX system is now much more appetising.

Performance is a blast, too. We

coupled this with an Intel Core

i3-8350K, and a GTX 1060, and found

it made a fantastic little mid-range

1080p machine for little over £1,200.

CHIPSET/SOCKET: Z370/LGA 1151 /

FORM FACTOR: MICRO-ATX / MEMORY SUPPORT: 64GB

DDR4 @ 4000 MT/S / M.2 / U.2 SUPPORT: 2X M.2 /

SATA SUPPORT: 6X SATA 6GB/S

87 %

84 %

93 %

ASUS ROG STRIX

Z370-G

http://www.asus.com £191

MOBO

We can tell you just how impressive a

motherboard this thing is, and that’s

no word of a lie. The raised M.2 PCB

integrated into the audio hardware

makes it a really exceptional piece of

mobo design.

However, the VRM solution

has its flaws. At idle it draws

30W more than its own ATX

This is a really tidy piece of motherboard design, but it’s not

entirely without its downsides.

siblings, and it doesn’t overclock as

high (coming in at 3.9GHz, versus the

4.0GHz we usually achieve). Whilst

this isn’t damning, it’s worth noting if

you’re looking at an ITX Ryzen build.

CHIPSET/SOCKET: X370 / AM4 / FORM FACTOR: ITX /

MEMORY SUPPORT: 32GB DDR4 @ 3600 MT/S /

M.2 / U.2 SUPPORT: 2X M.2 /

SATA SUPPORT: 4X SATA 6GB/S

84 %

ASUS ROG STRIX

X370-I GAMING

http://www.asus.com £185

VERTAGEAR S300 –

INFERNO RED

http://www.vertagear.com £230

Vertagear’s S300 fabric chair is a

fantastic entry point into the gaming

chair ecosystem. Available in a load of

different colours, it’s easy to

set up, and it gets a

thumbs-up for comfort as

well. Pricing is just right.

83 %

NOBLECHAIRS EPIC SERIES

BLACK/RED

http://www.noblechairs.com £300

Next up is Noblechairs’ Epic Series.

Still following that bucket seat fashion,

its faux leather composition is a

delight to sit in. Not so great in

warm weather, but the

range of adjustability on it

is staggering.

NOBLECHAIRS ICON TOP

GRAIN LEATHER

http://www.noblechairs.com £520

£520 is a good GTX 1080’s worth

of cash to splash. Happily, the Icon is

a premium product. Its leather fabric

finish makes it right at home in any

office, and is perfect for

anyone with more refined

taste than the typical

bucket seat style.

Reviews

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